WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) – A Massachusetts woman convicted of killing her pregnant friend and stealing her unborn baby has been sentenced to life in prison.

Julie Corey was given the mandatory term of life without parole Tuesday after being found guilty last week of first-degree murder in Worcester Superior Court.

Corey was convicted of killing 23-year-old Darlene Haynes in 2009. Haynes’ body was found in her apartment, and investigators later discovered her unborn child was missing.

Corey and her boyfriend were found with the baby days later at a homeless shelter in Plymouth, N.H.
Several people, including Haynes’ father, who held his daughter’s ashes, spoke at the sentencing about how Haynes’ killing affected them.

Corey’s lawyers have argued that police failed to follow up on leads that could have implicated others.

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